London has become my favorite city in the world, but Paris was the first outside of my native land where I spent any significant amount of time, and it retains a special hold on my imagination. The last time I was there was January — just a week after the Charlie Hebdo attacks… And now a day … More Paris
Cross-posted from AC 2nd At last night’s GOP presidential debate several candidates used our friends in the discipline of philosophy as a punch line. Most memorably, Sen. Marco Rubio (FL) claimed that “Welders make more than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.” Or as he put it today at an event in Iowa: “You deserve … More How about Historians and Welders?
In recognition of Veterans/Remembrance Day, Fletcher Warren and I are proud today to unveil the final version of Bethel at War, 1914-2014: A Digital History of a Christian College in a Century of Warfare. Whether you’re a Bethel alumnus, student, or employee, a member of its denomination, someone who’s interested in the histories of higher education, Christianity (especially … More At Long Last, the Official Debut of Bethel at War, 1914-2014!
This blog was quiet much of last week because I was busy attending the 2015 Symposium on Faith and Culture at Baylor University, on the theme of The Spirit of Sports. I won’t try to review every session that I attended — and I wasn’t there for the third and final day — but I thought I’d share a … More The Spirit of Sports
I don’t think I have any wisdom to offer on the controversy brewing at Yale University, where some students are outraged at what they perceive to be the lack of institutional response to racism on campus. But I think it raises some important questions about the nature of college education, particularly at schools that advertise themselves … More Is College a “Home”?
This blog will be quiet through the weekend while I attend The Spirit of Sports, the 2015 Symposium on Faith and Culture at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. I’ll be presenting a paper tomorrow afternoon on “Anabaptist Visions of Sport” — see a preview here — and then enjoying panels and addresses featuring everyone from philosopher Jamie Smith to historian … More Deep in the Heart of Texas
Growing up, my favorite two pages in any book were Hymns 381-382 in The Covenant Hymnal (1973): “Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment” and “Children of the Heavenly Father,” both originally written in Swedish by the great Lina Sandell. If the stale old joke is actually true and Swedish is the language of heaven, then surely the … More Children of the Heavenly Father
Presenting the top ten posts of October: (note to self: keep inviting Anabaptists to write about sexuality and higher education…) How Peacemaking Helps Frame the Context of Anabaptism, Sexuality, and Higher Education (Jared Burkholder) The Spread of Technology since 1900 History as Stewardship of the Past The Secularization(s) of Christian Higher Education Which Country (and Continent) Dominates Each … More The Big Ten
It’s October 31st, which means it’s time to continue an annual Reformation Day tradition: I don’t know how happy I ought to be that this video will probably end up being the most popular thing I’ve ever done. But for today, let’s embrace it, overlook all the terrible things that resulted from the Reformation, and … More Happy Reformation Day
Troubling news from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where twelve faculty spots are at risk of disappearing, including tenure-track positions in art, English, and ethics and open positions in French, philosophy, and theater. While a college spokesman pointed to a $3.7 million budget deficit and persistent decline in enrollment (down from over 1800 four years … More When Does a Liberal Arts College Cease to Be a Liberal Arts College?
The Pietist Schoolman 